SACRAMENTO -- Ann Ravel, California's top campaign finance watchdog, was nominated to the Federal Election Commission by President Obama on Friday. As chairwoman of the state's Fair Political Practices Commission for the last two years, Ravel has been a consistent critic of the federal government's unwillingness to crack down on secret money in politics. She also received nationwide attention for trying to uncover the donors behind an $11-million contribution that was funneled into California campaigns last year by an Arizona-based nonprofit, Americans for Responsible Leadership.

Re "Risks to hands-free units," June 13 As far as it goes, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety's study on the dangers of using hands-free devices while driving is accurate. However, it should be noted that the hands-free technology in modern cars is new and that in time drivers will adapt to these systems and will learn how to manage all this new information. We are only in the infancy of this pervasive technology, and it's impossible to fully understand how we'll adapt to it in the future.

Re "A restrained state budget," Editorial, and "A longer day in court," June 13 Shame on the governor, the Legislature and, frankly, The Times' editorial board. The dismantling of the California legal system, our third branch of government, continues with the new proposed state budget. Your editorial makes no mention of our courts, where citizens wait too long for justice. The California courthouse infrastructure, especially in Los Angeles County, was built from decades of prudent decisions, and now many locations are being closed down.

The Supreme Court on Monday gave a California raisin-growing couple another chance to defend their claim that the government violated their constitutional rights by fining them after they refused to obey Depression-era crop mandates. In a unanimous ruling , the high court sent the case back to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, saying it had incorrectly ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to hear a particular defense brought forth by the couple suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The case arose in 2002 and was brought forth by Marvin and Laura Horne, who have grown raisins in California's Central Valley since 1969 under the Raisin Valley Farms brand.

The California Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the right of cities to ban medical marijuana dispensaries. Although voters or the Legislature may decide to adopt "a different approach" in the future, nothing in the current laws restricts the right of local governments to declare dispensaries a nuisance that must be prohibited, the court said. Join us at 9 a.m. as we discuss the court's ruling and what it means for California medicinal users with Times reporter Maura Dolan.

[Updated 1t 10:15 a.m.: SAN FRANCISCO -- The California Supreme Court decided Monday that cities may ban medical marijuana dispensaries through zoning. The state high court's unanimous ruling, which approved a ban by the city of Riverside, is expected to spur more such prohibitions around the state. About 200 communities now have zoning laws that exclude cannabis dispensaries.] During a hearing in February, several justices indicated they favored upholding city bans.

Legislation approved by the Assembly would make California the first state to allow noncitizens to serve on juries. Naturally, the courts would have to make certain adjustments. ALSO: The power of jury duty Photo gallery: Ted Rall cartoons Kenny Smith schools Chris Broussard on inclusiveness Follow Ted Rall on Twitter @TedRall